[UPDATE: The guest rooms at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park will reopen on April 15th 2019 along with two new penthouse suites. The hotel is offering a ‘Be the First to Stay’ package available from 15 April to 30 June 2019. Priced from £659, inclusive of VAT, the promotion includes daily breakfast, a bottle of Champagne on arrival, plus a daily credit (ranging from £75 to £250 depending on the room or suite category booked) to be used in the new Spa, Mandarin Bar, The Rosebery or Bar Boulud.]

Opposite Harvey Nichols, around the corner from Sloane Street and down the road from Harrods, the Mandarin is a shopaholics’ dream. Check in to one of the newly refurbished Knightsbridge rooms and you’ll have a view of the designer mothership, Harvey Nicks, at all times.

The guest rooms and public spaces have been revamped by Joyce Wang, the designer responsible for The Landmark M.O. Hong Kong rooms and suites. Wang’s signature style of a light and contemporary take on 1930s glamour is much in evidence here. The designer has also taken inspiration from nearby Hyde Park with witty touches such as using horse hair as a feature in the hallway light fittings.

The Mandarin Oriental Penthouse

The two new penthouse suites, the two bed Mandarin and the one bed Oriental have also been designed by Wang. The two suites can be interconnected to offer three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a private dining room, two kitchens, and expansive views of Hyde Park and the London skyline.

Fans of chef Daniel Boulud will be pleased to know Bar Boulud is still in residence at the hotel, a favourite with the well heeled Knightsbridge crowd mid or post shopping. As well as signature charcuterie and burgers, the restaurant has introduced French regional specialities which will change seasonally. For Spring it’s the Basque Country with dishes such as traditional tapas and monkfish tail wrapped in Bayonne ham with crush potatoes.

Bar Boulud, MO London

The spa, redesigned by Adam H Tihany who is also responsible for the moody ground floor bar, reopened in December 2018.

[UPDATE: The Spa, Rosebery Room, Bar Boulud, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and the Mandarin Bar re opened on December 4th 2018. The guest rooms are expected to reopen in spring 2019.]

Opposite Harvey Nichols, around the corner from Sloane Street and down the road from Harrods, the Mandarin is a shopaholics’ dream. Check in to one of the newly refurbished Knightsbridge rooms and you’ll have a view of the designer mothership, Harvey Nicks, at all times.

Joyce Wang designed Lobby Lounge

The guest rooms and public spaces have been revamped by Joyce Wang, the designer responsible for The Landmark M.O. Hong Kong rooms and suites. Wang’s signature style of a light and contemporary take on 1930s glamour is much in evidence here. The designer has also taken inspiration from nearby Hyde Park with witty touches such as using horse hair as a feature in the hallway light fittings.

Fans of chef Daniel Boulud will be pleased to know Bar Boulud is still in residence at the hotel, a favourite with the well heeled Knightsbridge crowd mid or post shopping. As well as signature charcuterie and burgers, the restaurant has introduced French regional specialities which will change seasonally. For Spring it’s the Basque Country with dishes such as traditional tapas and monkfish tail wrapped in Bayonne ham with crush potatoes.

Bar Boulud

The spa is due to reopen next month, redesigned by Adam H Tihany who is also responsible for the moody ground floor bar while two new penthouse suites will be revealed this July.

[UPDATE: “Samsara Island”, setting for the film Crazy Rich Asian’s lavish hen weekend, was shot at the Four Seasons Langkawi in Malaysia. The interiors are currently being updated by the resort’s original designer Bill Bensley.]

Set between a white sandy beach and soaring limestone cliffs synonymous with the Malaysia archipelago, the Fours Seasons Langkawi has the luxury of never feeling crowded. Within 48 acres of luscious, landscaped grounds there are just 91 rooms.

With so much space to play with starchitect Bill Bensley has had a blast. Starting with a stunning Moorish-style series of reception spaces complete with torches and reflecting pools when you arrive. The attention to detail is impressive: everywhere you look, there’s something to swoon over.

After a refreshingly short transfer from the airport where we spot families of monkeys on the roadside, we are shown (via golf buggy) to an Upper Pavilion, one of four units in a Malaysian style wooden house. Our pavilion has a breezy wraparound terrace and a glimpse of the sea but the wow factor is the bathroom – including a huge terrazzo tub set in an alcove beneath a high domed ceiling.

Upper Pavilion Bathroom

For a Crazy Rich Asian experience (hopefully without the toxic friends) book a Beach Villa (pics below) or the Royal Villa in a secluded spot right on the sand – where Araminta Lee’s hen weekend was filmed.

The resorts’ three restaurants cover Malaysian, Italian and Western cuisine between them. All three overlook the sea but the prettiest is Ikan Ikan, housed in a traditional Malaysian wooden villa. While all the restaurants serve dinner, only Serai is open for breakfast and the Kelapa Grill open for lunch. Many guests opt for in room dining, especially if they’ve booked a beach villa.

Cleverly, families are booked into one side of the resort (close to the children’s swimming pool and kid’s club) and couples into the other – near the adult’s only pool and a delightful bar where the best spot is a swing seat overlooking the beach.

Adult Quiet Pool Pic: Ken Seet

Most of our stay is spent at the adult swimming pool – a long (bigger than Olympic size) infinity pool punctuated by fountains. From our cabana we look out to the trademark verdant outcrops that jut out the Andaman sea and slink in for a dip in the pool via private steps.

Adult Pool Cabana Pic: Ken Seet

A few forays are made to the superb Geo Spa which plays beautifully on Langkawi’s status as a UNESCO Geopark. From the spacious treatment pavilions, each set over water, we get a dramatic close up view of the limestone cliffs. As well as being stunningly designed, the spa offers more interesting and better executed treatments than most.

Geo Spa treatment room Pic: Ken Seet

If you’re an active type, there are plenty of water and adventure sports on offer from paddle boarding to rock climbing. We’re tempted away from the resort just once, by a boat trip straight from the Four Season’s beach to the nearby mangroves. As well as the entertaining commentary of our guide, Aidi, (“Africa has the big five, we have the little five,”) our reward is the sight of kites, sea eagles and families of monkeys – the latter lining the banks of “monkey alley” and taking a cheeky look at us as we glide by.

A version of this piece was originally published by BA Highlife in 2014

[UPDATE: Four Seasons Langkawi has launched the Escape to Paradisepromotion inspired by Crazy Rich Asians the movie. It includes a 20 percent saving on the Bed and Breakfast package, with rates starting at USD 680 onwards, daily buffet breakfast at Serai for up to two adults, and round-trip transfers between the airport and the Resort. To book call reservations on Tel: (60) 4 950 8888.]

Sarah Jessica Parker once remarked that New York was the fifth star of Sex and the City, similar could be said of Singapore in the Crazy Rich Asians movie. Not only does the Lion City hold its own among the ensemble cast that includes Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Contance Wu and Michelle Yeoh, it’s a veritable scene stealer.

Based on the book by Kevin Kwan the film is about a young American Chinese woman, Rachel Chu, visiting the home land of her fellow Chinese New Yorker boyfriend, Nicholas Young, and discovering his family and friends are part of the super rich Singapore elite. The small, tropical city state dazzles in sweeping shots of the Marina Bay area and skyline although most of the movie was filmed in neighbouring Malaysia (sometimes masquerading as Singapore or New York).

You won’t find Tyersall Park, Nick’s grandmother’s estate, in Singapore for example. The location is two heritage houses, Carcosa Seri Negara, in the botanical gardens in Kuala Lumpur . The mahjong showdown between Rachel and Nick’s mother was filmed in Penang and the beach scenes on Langkawi. Here’s where to find them all:

Raffles Hotel Singapore

Raffles lobby and Drawing Room

Of course Nick Young “the Prince Harry of Asia” takes his girlfriend Rachel to stay at the grandest hotel in town: Raffles. Their scenes were shot in the Drawing Room above the lobby and the Sarkies Suite, one of the hotel’s two presidential suites named after the original owners and where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed. And when Nick’s mother visits him there they stand on the private verandah overlooking the Palm Court. The suite costs upwards of £5,000 per night plus 17 per cent taxes but you can’t check in just yet – Raffles is currently closed until early 2019 [Update: Raffles is now taking booking for August 2019 onwards].

It should be worth the wait though, a major refurb is underway which promises to keep the old world glamour while adding modern amenities and tech. One big change is that the spectacular lobby which was previously only accessible to hotel residents will become a new lounge area where afternoon tea will be served to non guests. Restaurants overseen by the much Michelin starred Anne Sophie Pic and Alain Ducasse are also opening.

The Fullerton Hotel

The Fullerton Hotel

If you can’t wait until next year to make your trip you could book the Fullerton Hotel instead. This handsome columned building (formerly the post office HQ) on the river and near the bay crops up as a back drop throughout Crazy Rich Asians. Most notably in two key scenes between Nick and Rachel and Nick’s elegant cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan) and her husband.

Newton Food Centre

Any film set in Singapore has to feature hawker centres, outdoor food courts with stalls selling a medley of Asian street cuisines that the city is famous for. Kwan’s novel has Nick scorning Newton Food Centre as “only for expats and tourists” and championing Lau Pa Sat instead. Ironically though it’s the latter with its easy location next to the Central Business District (CBD) and charming Victorian wrought iron structure that is usually dismissed this way by Singaporeans. And Newton is the actual location for the street food fest in the film that’s had critics salivating.

The travel tissue packs in the Crazy Rich Asians scene are authentic. Locals always take them to the hawker centres not only to use as napkins but also to reserve a table. And if you’re thinking how unlikely it seems for UHNWIs to eat here, literally everyone in Singapore does – or they send their maid and driver to pick up.

Four Seasons Langkawi

Royal Beach Villa at the Four Seasons Langkawi

It girl Araminta Lee’s lavish hen do on “Samsara Island” was in reality filmed on Malaysia’s Langkawi. More specifically at the stunning, Bill Bensley designed, Four Seasons which is set between a white sandy beach and soaring limestone cliffs synonymous with the Malaysian archipelago. You’ll need to book the Royal Beach Villa if you want one of the enviable pads Araminta stayed in.

The spa here is even more gorgeous than shown in the film: the spacious treatment pavilions are set over water and have a dramatic close up view of the limestone cliffs.

Chijmes

Araminta Lee walks down the aisle in Chijmes Hall

Across the road from Raffles this colonial era compound (strangely spelt due to Singaporeans’ love of acronyms but pronounced Chimes) was variously a convent and a school and in its most recent incarnation is populated with F&B outlets. At its heart, the 19th century gothic chapel renamed Chijmes Hall and now turned into a function space is the location for glamorous couple Colin Khoo and Araminta Lee’s society nuptials, “the event of the century”.

The white wedding cake architecture, shown as backdrop to the red carpet arrival of the guests in the film, is worth a look but while you’re here don’t miss Whitegrass, one of Singapore’s truly outstanding restaurants. Chef Sam Aisbett fuses ingredients from his home country of Australia as well as Japan with some Asian flavours to create a fantastic contemporary menu.

Australian jade tiger abalone with three treasures at Whitegrass

Bukit Pasoh Road

This picturesque stretch in Tanjong Pagar, part of Chinatown, is lined with preserved Peranakan shophouses making a photogenic al fresco meeting point for Rachel and her college friend Peik Lin. The actual spot is the terrace outside Humpback seafood restaurant, across the road from The Reading Room (a coffee house by day and bar by night).

A few doors down is The Straits Clan one of Singapore’s new breed of private members clubs housed in the attractive building that was until recently the New Majestic Hotel. Although members only, its street facing Straits Cafe is open to the public. Bukit Pasoh used to be known as “the street of clans” and this slice of heritage Singapore makes a welcome change for anyone suffering shopping mall fatigue.

The Straits Clan, Bukit Pasoh Road

The Blue Mansion, George Town

While the exterior implies it’s on Ang Siang Hill in Singapore, that exquisite courtyard setting where Nick’s ice maiden mother played by Michelle Yeoh meets Rachel over the traditional Chinese game mahjong is actually in Malaysia. George Town, the capital of Penang province, is a picturesque little place filled with brightly painted “shop houses” with shuttered windows.

Among them you’ll find the grander Cheong Fatt Sze Mansion, named after the 19thcentury tycoon who lived there (14, Leith Street, George Town +604 262 0006). Also known as The Blue Mansion, this scene of the mahjong showdown is a boutique hotel (rooms from £100 per night) so you can check in and enjoy the mansion when all the day trippers have gone.

Supertree Grove at Gardens By the Bay

Colin and Araminta’s Gatsbyesque evening wedding reception was held at Singapore’s man made, multi million dollar Gardens By the Bay amid the Supertrees. And night time is really the only time to visit these man made, multi-million dollar gardens (the outdoor sites are open until 2am). During the day the Supertree Grove is punishingly hot so arrive in the evening when the extraordinary “tree” structures – between 25 and 50 metres tall and covered with plants – are illuminated and the delightfully OTT music and light show takes place at 7.45pm and 8.45pm nightly.

Eleanor Young (played by Michelle Yeoh) at the Supertree Grove

Make a booking for dinner at Pollen in the nearby Flower Dome with its Mediterranean climate and associated flora. The pretty setting and excellent mod Med cooking aside, the beauty of dining here is that you can walk around the Dome after all the visitors have gone at 9pm.

Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

Infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands hotel

Sweeping vistas of Singapore’s Marina Bay area and Marina Bay Sands hotel, the building that looks like a ship marooned on top of three skyscrapers, abound in the film and the finale was shot around the hotel’s SkyPark infinity pool on the 57th floor.

Whatever you do don’t buy a ticket to the SkyPark observation deck – you won’t get anywhere near the swimming pool. Access to the pool area requires a room key card so to swim in the pool (and take that obligatory selfie with the skyscrapers as a backdrop) you’ll need to check into the hotel but is it worth it? The vast scale of MBS attracts large tour groups and the infinity pool, like many Insta famous locations, is always jam packed. Even or especially at night.

Better to have a cocktail at adjacent Ce La Vi which serves one of the best Singapore Slings in the city and has a panoramic view of Singapore’s skyline. To overlook the infinity pool you’ll need to be in The Sky Deck area of the Club Lounge (not to be confused with the Sky Bar). If you want fireworks thrown in, coincide your visit with the Formula One Night Race (September 16th this year) or National Day (August 9th).

When chef Raymond Blanc bought the manor house and grounds in the English countryside which he transformed into Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons two Michelin starred restaurant and luxury hotel, the first thing he did was create a vegetable garden. Having grown up helping his mother grow produce at their family home in France he wanted to recreate the “living larder” of his childhood.

Thirty years on the grounds have flourished and encompass vegetable, salad and herb gardens, apple orchards and a mushroom “valley”. This year [2017] Blanc has responded to requests from guests and opened a gardening school – the first to be set in a hotel.

Raymond Blanc

The link between the kitchen and garden at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is palpable. On the front of the dining menu, namechecked alongside the chefs is Anne Marie Owens, Head Gardener. “The admiration I have for gardeners is beyond measure,” says Blanc. “The gardens are an essential part of Belmond Le Manoir – you will spend as much time in the garden as you will at the table.”

Looking at the menu itself, whether it’s fresh apple juice at breakfast, herbs and salads in a side dish or vegetables as the star such as the signature Beetroot Terrine; as much produce as possible is garnered from the grounds. Head Chef Gary Jones has a walk about every Tuesday and comes up with a “picking list” of produce and at 8am every day the chefs take it in turns to attend the cropping with the gardeners.

Chefs are also encouraged to take some time out in the gardens before service and many can be found in the Japanese Tea Garden. Blanc was inspired to create the garden following a visit to Japan. Working with landscaper and gardener Robert Ketchell, who studied in Japan, he learned that gardens are both an art form and healing space that can help with the stress.

Produce at the Raymond Blanc Gardening School

Set in a handsome glasshouse in Le Manoir’s grounds, The Raymond Blanc Gardening School offers half day and full day hands on courses including growing your own vegetables, mushrooms, micro herbs and edible flowers as well as classes for children. Instruction is given by Le Manoir’s own gardeners as well as visiting experts and the courses are tailored to the season, in keeping with the hotel’s ethos.

This summer sees the introduction of the Japanese Garden course. Guests will also get the chance to take a walk around the Japanese Tea Garden with Ketchell to find out about the traditions and practices involved with creating a Japanese garden.

A suite at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons

For the ultimate horticultural experience, book one of the hotel’s Garden Suites for your stay – the theme of each room is reflected in the plants and flowers enveloping your private terrace. Paradise.

[UPDATE: The Japanese Garden course at Belmond Le Manoir takes place on 21 August 2018 and costs £235 per person. The day includes tea and coffee on arrival, materials and guidance to create a ‘trayscape’ garden and lunch with accompanying wines, coffee and petit fours.]

[UPDATE: Wolfgang Puck is bringing his signature Asian French fusion dishes from his Santa Monica restaurant Chinois to Cut at 45 Park Lane, London for a pop up celebrating the restaurant’s 35th anniversary. From today until 30th June the menu, featuring Asian flavours fused with French techniques, will include Shanghai lobster with curry sauce and whole sizzling sea bass with ginger and ponzu sauce. As well as an a la carte lunch there’s two tasting dinner menus – six courses priced at £115 per person and eight courses £165 per person including a welcome cocktail.]

Wolfgang Puck, one of the most famous of the world famous chefs, is reflecting on how times have changed for his profession; “When I moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s I used to go to discotheques,” he recalls. “Once I asked a girl to dance, she asked me what I did for a living and I told her ‘I’m a cook’. When the song was over, she left! Nowadays that scenario probably wouldn’t happen.”

He is more than likely right – since then chefs have become celebrities and Puck has become as famous as the stars who flock to his LA restaurants. Though the native Austrian, who learnt to cook from his mother and trained at Michelin starred restaurants in France, is not entirely comfortable with that either.

“I don’t like the name celebrity chef but I think that television has put chefs in the public. Television has really helped elevate our profession. I think it’s great because this has become an important profession, before it wasn’t,” he says. “Fifty years ago, you probably wouldn’t know who the chef was anywhere. Now chefs are like rock n roll stars.”

But for Puck, whose empire includes Cut, Spago and Chinois restaurants around the world, being a great chef still comes down to learning the basics. “The funny thing is, a lot of these television people, they don’t know how to cook,” he says. “I did a programme a few years ago where I asked the six chef contestants to make me an omelette. And you know what? None of them could make me a good omelette. That’s the problem with a lot of younger chefs today – they don’t start with the proper foundation.”

Wolfgang Puck

“Learning how to cook is like learning how to paint,” he continues in the first of many arty analogies (he has said that he would have liked to have been an artist if he hadn’t been a chef). “When you learn how to paint, you learn how to mix colours. Cooking is the same. If I have ginger, garlic and scallion, a dish would taste more Chinese. If I add basil and remove scallion, it would taste more Italian. When you really boil it down, it’s really not that complex. That comes with experience and, of course, a full understanding of the basics.”

Having mastered the basics, Puck eschews recipe books for his own instincts. “I know a certain flavour I want to have, then I try to get there my way. I don’t want to look at a cookbook to find how the Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese make it, I want to make it my own style,” he says.

“It’s just like writing a song, or painting. If you paint like Picasso nobody cares but if you created your own style, people would say, ‘oh, that’s interesting.’ Or if you’re a singer and you sing Lionel Richie songs all day long, you’re never going to become Lionel Richie – no matter how well you sing it. It’s the same with food – you can use lamb, fish, whatever but you still have to create a dish out of it your way.”

It’s an ethos that Puck encourages from the head chefs across his restaurant empire. “I create two lines here, and I let the chefs operate in between these lines. They have been working with me for many years, so they think like me anyway. But I want them to be creative, I want them to add something of their own to the menu.”

Steak at Cut

At Spago Singapore, the first in Asia and Puck’s second restaurant at Marina Bay Sands in the city state following Cut, the global fusion elements he describes can be found on the menu alongside American classics. “I opened Spago in Los Angeles in 1982 and then I opened Chinois in 1983 – essentially I opened an Asian restaurant but not in the traditional way. I made it my style,” Puck says.

The global menu at Spago Marina Bay Sands includes versions of two Singapore specialities: kaya toast and laksa. “We take something that’s already popular here and make it our own. And people still like it!” says Puck. As well as the luxurious versions of foie gras kaya toast and lobster laksa available at dinner, there’s a chicken “laksa” spring roll on the lunch and bar bites menus.

Big Eye Tuna Tartare at Spago

As well as the dinner menu, Spago has several lunch options to choose from depending on your mood and time allowance. Alternatively, a compact selection, still offering signature classics such as the tuna tartare cones and hand cut agnolotti, is available in the terrace lounge and at the al fresco rooftop bar. Perhaps to go with a cocktail or two although Puck prefers champagne. “I drink cocktails but not too much. With champagne, I can drink a whole bottle and still feel fine.”

When it comes to his own tastes Puck says he prefers strong flavours including chilli and spices in his food. “For me, French food is too subtle. One or two French dishes are fine but if I had to eat eight, I’d fall asleep.” While he has often tried chilli crab and fish head curry in Singapore these days he likes to stick to his own restaurants in Marina Bay Sands. “Even in my home country I go out less than I used to,” he says. “Here, if I want to have a really good meal I ask my chefs to cook me something.”

Although, or perhaps because, Wolfgang Puck has a couple of Michelin stars under his belt, he seems unfazed by the launch of the prestigious restaurant guide in Singapore later this year. “We don’t open a restaurant with the aim of earning Michelin stars. I know what I should do if I wanted to get the stars – open a restaurant that serves only 30 people a night and prepare 10 or 12 course meals. But I would only get people who try us once,” he says.

“For me, the stars are our customers,” he continues. “They are the ones who are going to come back, they are the ones who pay me and the rest of the people. So if the Michelin Guide gave me three stars but I have no customers those stars wouldn’t mean anything. I’m not saying Michelin stars are useless, but the most important thing for me is taking care of the customers.”

Great hospitality is a recurring theme for the chef and restaurateur. He sees good service as just as vital as good food. “Like any major city today, Singapore has a lot of great restaurants so to set ourselves apart we don’t just focus on the food. I think it’s important that people get recognised, that people feel like they are at home,” he emphasises.

“Yesterday at Cut, I saw a German family who has been living in Singapore for 40 years. I remember them from last time I was here. They came up to me and said, ‘Oh, it’s so good to see you again. We come here at least twice a month.’ That to me is more important than earning Michelin stars.”

[UPDATE: Make a booking at Le Mout while you – Lanshu Chen has announced she is closing the restaurant this year.]

Taiwanese born, French trained chef, Lanshu Chen is describing her favourite meal to eat off duty: “Yaki soba. It’s a childhood memory – my favourite dish from my mother. It accompanied me many times when I stayed up late studying.”

The yaki soba-fuelled late nights and hard work have paid off. At 33 years old, not only is Chen owner and head chef of Le Mout, a fine dining, Relais & Chateaux restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan, she has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef.

“Growing up in Taiwan, food has always been an integral part of my heritage,” says Chen who was presented with the title, sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, at the second Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards at the Capella hotel in Singapore in February 2014.

“From an early age I appreciated the pleasures that derive from preparing and sharing meals.”
Chen recalls a childhood of her aunts – all fantastic cooks – constantly in the kitchen, whipping up Taiwanese and Chinese dishes and how she read cookbooks for fun. But her route to food stardom was not a straightforward one. Unusually for a chef, Chen headed to university where she chose to study languages and literature but afterwards she left Taiwan for France to train in patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

“I used to cook Taiwanese dishes and Chinese cuisine when I as a child, then I fell in love with making pastry when I was in high school,” she says. “I didn’t want to be a professional chef then but I committed to spending two years exploring my interest in cooking overseas, just to see if I could make it.”

The two years turned into four including 12 months at the professional cooking school ESCF-Ferrandi during which time Chen experienced an about turn on her career choice. “After I’d finished the course at Le Cordon Bleu I realised I loved cooking. I devoted myself to learning about the French culinary world. By my fourth year in Paris, I was planning to open my own restaurants.”

Following a stage at The French Laundry in the US, Chen moved back to her native country and opened Le Mout in 2008 with the aim of serving the best French food in Taiwan. “When I returned to Taiwan and visited the French restaurants, they didn’t match my expectations,” she says.

“I wanted to introduce authentic French cuisine but add my own interpretation. I found there are many special ingredients in Taiwan that I could use. I use those ingredients with French techniques and sometimes I combine them with luxury produce from other countries as well.”

Examples include Oyster and Pearls, a dish adapted from one by Thomas Keller at The French Laundry with a nod to Bubble Tea. “Here we soak our tapioca – you know, from the pearl milk tea in Taiwan – in Chinese bacon stock overnight and we add Sichuan pepper. The oyster is lightly coated in lemon butter to draw out the natural sweetness. So we use a very French way to cook, using a combination of French and Taiwanese ingredients.”

Chen is clearly proud of the bounty of local Taiwanese produce citing eggs from the Silki breed of hens, sprouts from the Angelica tree and line-caught wild Amadai fish from Taiwan’s North-eastern coastline. She particularly enjoys cooking with vegetables and seafood; “There’s a large variety of vegetables and seafood in Taiwan, giving me a lot of opportunity to be creative.”

Kampachi, avocado and green chilli peppers

Le Mout’s menu changes around every six weeks according to the availability of ingredients. While she shies aways from naming a signature dish (”I think a signature dish needs to recognised by others, not claimed by myself”) she does have some personal favourites such as mustard leaves fermented in the traditional Taiwanese method then wrapped around a whole, de-boned pigeon stuffed with truffled pearl barley.

“In Taiwan, or even China, no one sees being a cook as a dream job,” says Chen which may give some clue as to why she did not want to be a professional chef while growing up. “I, however, think it is cool to be a chef. It allows me to share my feelings, passion and memories through the food I make.”

Chen thinks physical inferiority to men may be the reason that women are not equally represented in professional kitchens but adds: “being a professional cook in a restaurant is to devote all your time to this career. You have to be very determined to make this commitment.”

Her view compounds the widespread industry belief that the unsociable hours and the physical consequences (burns and knife cut scars are the norm let alone the deathly pallor of people who rarely see day light) have traditionally put women off entering the profession. Those that do, tend to stay in patisserie unlike Chen who says: “For me cuisine is a place to explore the ultimate possibility of flavours and textures. I prefer to be able to do everything not to focus only on the sweet part.”

And she credits her mentor Jean-Francois Piege whom she interned for at the Hotel De Crillon in Paris as the catalyst for that decision: “He treats food like an artist would crafting an art piece. After seeing him at work I made the decision to move from pastry making to French cuisine.”

With noticeably fewer women than men in the industry, William Drew, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants spokesman, says the Best Female Chef award is needed. “We believe that shining the spotlight on a female chef will highlight their success in what remains largely a man’s world. Celebrating talented women in this profession is important as the perception of the cheffing industry is still quite macho,” he says.

On the positive side, Chen thinks the advantage of being a rare female in the professional arena is that “it’s easier to be seen in the kitchen.” She says the woman chef she admires most in the world is Anne-Sophie Pic of the three Michelin starred Maison Pic in France and Beau-Rivage Palace hotel, Switzerland, but that she hasn’t had a chance to try the food of many female chefs in Asia.

As for up and coming young women she says: “I don’t have any advice to female chefs in particular however I can share what I learn from the kitchen.” Namely to respect yourself, never to waste food and to present food in the best way possible.

One thing that’s fairly certain is that Chen can look forward to an increased interest in her restaurant as a result of the award. Inaugural Asia’s Best Female Chef Duongporn “Bo” Songvisawa who co—owns Bo.lan in Bangkok says: “Not only did we see an increase in the number of guests, but the type of diners changed. They had read about our restaurant and came in more knowledgeable. Our guests now ask questions about the ingredients, how we source our products and the cooking techniques.”

Chen is remaining grounded about the changes the award may bring. “Maybe the guests will come with higher expectations?” she muses. “But it won’t change me too much. I am still looking for ways of being better.”

]]>chopsticksandthecityLanshu Chen at Le Mout, TaiwanLanshu-Chen_Profilerp-le-mout-1original_Lanshu-Chen-dish-3Kampachi, avocado and green chilli peppers2014_le_mout_profile_food_2Le Mout Lanshu Chenrp-le-mout-3Top New and Revamped Hotels in Londonhttps://chopstixandthecity.com/2018/06/19/top-new-and-revamped-hotels-in-london/
Tue, 19 Jun 2018 15:50:44 +0000http://chopstixandthecity.com/?p=7070The flurry of new and refurbished luxury hotels in London recent years shows no sign of slowing down. Here’s the best of the most recent batch.

Best for a Couples Weekend: Kettner’s Townhouse

Soho institution Kettner’s, one of London’s first French restaurants opened in the 19th century and frequented by the louche likes of Oscar Wilde, has been bought by the Soho House company. Based next door to the inaugural Soho House private members’ club on Greek Street (rumoured to be the setting for Harry and Meghan’s first date) it’s now a boutique hotel and is open to non House members.

Renamed Kettner’s Townhouse, the establishment has been restored to its deliciously decadent glory along with some urbane Soho House touches including Cowshed spa toiletries and fully stocked drinks trolleys. Purists may rest assured that both the Piano Bar and the Champagne Bar remain (the latter now open to hotel guests only) while the addition of bedrooms means you don’t have far to go after a night cap.

Jacobean Suite at Kettner’s Townhouse

All the guestrooms are sumptuously decorated with opulent fabrics in rich colours. The Medium and Big categories feature roll top baths in the rooms while the showstopper Jacobean Suite has original wood paneling, a large sitting area and a stunning bathroom with a copper tub. This corner suite also has its own private entrance onto Soho.In the revamped restaurant Kettner’s original fin de siècle spirit joyfully lives on. From the banquet seating and antique silverware to the classic French menu and white jacketed wait staff.

Try the excellent chicken liver parfait followed by the truffle roast chicken with pommes anna. Even if you’re the sort who usually skips dessert, don’t miss the pink grapefruit coupe – a champagne glass of sorbet topped up with Ruinart, deliciously refreshing.

Kettner’s Townhouse restaurant

In keeping with the Soho House creative rather than corporate ethos, laptops are frowned upon so the place feels more pleasure than business. And breakfast is served until an ultra civilised 12pm.

29 Romilly St, Soho, London W1D 5HPTel +44 207 734 5650

Best for Culture Vultures: The Mandrake

The first sign that this is no ordinary hotel is the eye catching sculpture in the window. Then there’s the fact that the dramatic tunnel entrance manned by a sharply dressed greeter feels more like a nightclub than a hotel. Inside, the public areas feature a bounty of fascinating and eclectic artworks and artefacts collected by the owners on their travels.

A monthly changing artist in residency means there’s also a constantly evolving selection of art on show throughout the hotel.In the basement of this former television production studio, cultural wellbeing classes are held regularly. Weekly Gong Baths – a meditation class using Tibetan prayer bowls – are particularly popular with locals working in the creative Fitzrovia area, just north of Soho and close to Theatreland.

The Mandrake

While the suites at The Mandrake are also dark and theatrical, the Terrace bedrooms open out onto a shared deck lined with living walls of jasmine and passionflowers and overlooking the courtyard below.

Jewel in the crown is Serge et le Phoque, first outpost of the Michelin starred Hong Kong restaurant. Go for the omosake Chef’s Tasting Menu which is a magical mystery tour of clever cooking through Frédéric Peneau’s artfully executed modern European dishes. While the entire table must order the menu, unusually a succinct three courses are on offer as well as five or seven. Opt for the wine pairings as well – the somm here, Bert Blaize, is Young Sommelier of the Year.

20-21 Newman Street, London W1T 1PGTel +44 203 146770

Best for Business: The Principal London

This imposing terracotta tiled and turreted mansion on Russell Square first opened as a hotel in 1898 and has just been refurbished and rebranded. The new owner, Principal, has retained the former Russell Hotel’s Victorian grandeur including marble columns, mosaic floor tiles and soaring ceilings but the place has been brought firmly into the present with the help of top interior designers including Tara Bernerd who has brought a cool and calming aesthetic to the lobby and guestrooms.

A Tara Bernerd designed suite at The Principal London

Of the several F&B outlets, Burr & Co is a casual space for a meeting over coffee while Fitz’s, designed by Russell Sage, has a part Belle Epoque, part traditional London gentleman’s club feel (depending on which side of the bar you choose) for evening drinks.

The City Singles rooms featuring custom made single beds with wraparound headboards are a hit with the solo business traveller (The Principal is on the doorstep of commercial district Holborn which separates the City from the West End). A clutch of meeting rooms are due to open over the next few months and there’s a 24 hour gym if/when jet lag strikes.

1-8 Russell Square, London WC1B 5BETel +44 203 553 6112

Best for Families: The Bloomsbury

Practically opposite the British Museum, The Bloomsbury has recently completed a major redesign including new bedrooms, guest sitting room, clubby basement bar and an enchanting outdoor restaurant, Dalloway Terrace (a nod to famous past resident writer Virginia Woolf of the Bloomsbury Set).

The Sitting Room at The Bloomsbury

The terrace is charmingly decorated in foliage which changes according to the seasons so right now it’s filled with spring flowers which will segue into summer blooms in the coming months. (And yes, there are heaters and blankets for colder times.)

The hotel offers a concierge service tailored to children, kid’s robes and toiletries await in the room and there’s milk and cookies for your little ones at turn down. If you’re staying in a Studio Suite or Luxury Suite you can also book a Teepee for up 12 year olds to sleep in.

Take advantage of the baby sitting service to enjoy a cocktail in The Coral Room, the hotel’s gorgeous new art deco inspired bar.

[UPDATE: The Mandarin Oriental’s spa, Bar Boulud, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Rosebery room and Mandarin Bar reopened on December 4th 2018. Bookings are now open for guest bedrooms and suites reopening on April 15th, 2019. ]

Opposite Harvey Nichols, around the corner from Sloane Street and down the road from Harrods, the Mandarin is a shopaholics’ dream. Check in to one of the newly refurbished Knightsbridge rooms and you’ll have a view of the designer mothership, Harvey Nicks, at all times.

The Lobby Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

The guest rooms and public spaces have been revamped by Joyce Wang, the designer responsible for The Landmark M.O. Hong Kong rooms and suites. Wang’s signature style of a light and contemporary take on 1930s glamour is much in evidence here. The designer has also taken inspiration from nearby Hyde Park with witty touches such as using horse hair as a feature in the hallway light fittings.

A Turret Suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Fans of chef Daniel Boulud will be pleased to know Bar Boulud is still in residence at the hotel, a favourite with the well heeled Knightsbridge crowd mid or post shopping. As well as signature charcuterie and burgers, the restaurant has introduced French regional specialities which will change seasonally. For Spring it’s the Basque Country with dishes such as traditional tapas and monkfish tail wrapped in Bayonne ham with crush potatoes.

The re designed spa and two new penthouse suites will also be revealed.

66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LATel +44 20 7235 2000

A version of this story was originally published by Robb Report Singapore

Of all the islands in all the world they had to meet on mine. Or at least my ex island – until a few months ago I was a resident of Sentosa, the islet off Singapore, connected to the “mainland” by road bridge. I was in proud possession of the coveted card that allowed me to pass fuss free through the toll booths that mark Sentosa’s entrance.

When we first moved to Singapore we thought fellow expats were misguided to live on manufactured sounding Sentosa. If Singapore itself has a touch of The Truman Show about it then Sentosa seemed to represent that writ large. But we quickly came to realise that the relentlessly humid climate of The Lion City made a coastal apartment with sea vistas and a swimming pool an attractive proposition.

Yes it was “living in the bubble” but we enjoyed our breezy evening walks around the island, sundowners on the balcony and dinner any night of the week overlooking the marina. It was like being on holiday all year round.

Capella hotel with Sentosa golf courses and Singapore skyline

While your first glimpse of Sentosa as you cross the bridge is the fairytale towers of Shrek’s castle within Universal Studios, and the island’s toll booth gateway announces that you are entering The State of Fun in giant glittering letters, that’s not the whole story. Taxi drivers would often delight in telling me that Sentosa meant Island of Death (and it certainly has a bloody past including pirates and Japanese soldiers). But they would equally be likely to tell me how when they were children the area was a jungle where monkeys abounded. The monkeys are a rarity now but peacocks roam free – and have right of way when they veer into the road.

Locals also like to tell you “It’s so far away, lah!” (It’s fifteen minutes door to door in a taxi to the Central Business District) but most take their kids to Universal Studios and the impressive SEA Aquarium as well as the man made beaches. Further east, the casino and the vast hotels feeding off it are aimed at the mainland Chinese and visiting South East Asians (Singaporeans have to pay for entry in a bid to discourage gambling). It’s also the venue for Joel Robuchon’s two restaurants – one of which has three Michelin stars (although don’t get too excited about that in Singapore. In fact Robuchon has announced the close of his restaurants at the end of this month). The west side of the island is more residential encompassing two golf courses and Sentosa Cove, home to some of Singapore’s most exclusive addresses, backing on to waterways, as well as a marina and yacht club.

The Capella hotel sits in splendid isolation on the island on a slight elevation and in its own leafy grounds. The remarkable colonial era entrance, all white columns and terracotta tiles, was part of a British army base in the 1880s and now houses the reception and lobby as well as a library. These original heritage buildings segue into a stunning, Norman Foster designed, resort. The curvaceous modern building leads down to tiered terraces culminating in the infinity pool, arguably one of the most scenic in the world. Bob’s Bar is a popular spot for al fresco drinking overlooking the pool and the South China Sea beyond. The hotel’s Auriga spa is the best in Singapore in my experience. As well as the excellent treatments there are heat and water rooms to enjoy before hand.

Treatment room at the Auriga Spa, Capella

We’ve spent a wedding anniversary staycation (a popular pastime in Singapore) in one of the garden bungalows complete with private terrace and plunge pool. For a sea view you’ll need to book a regular room or suite in the main hotel building but for even more lavish seclusion there are several three bedroomed “contemporary manors” and two presidential suites – both occupy standalone colonial villas and all the manors have private swimming pools.

Contemporary Manor, Capella Singapore

Peacocks roam free at the Capella resort too. Any world leader with cavalcades be warned: they are particularly attracted to black cars and have been known to attack their reflections in them.

]]>chopsticksandthecityCapella Singapore swimming pool day copy.jpgCapella-Singapore_Aerial-ViewCapella treatment roomCapella Singapore_ContemporaryManor Exterior Mid Res copy 2.jpgThe Best Mani Pedi in Singaporehttps://chopstixandthecity.com/2018/06/11/the-best-mani-pedi-in-singapore/
Mon, 11 Jun 2018 11:15:37 +0000http://chopstixandthecity.com/?p=7026In Singapore, with the year round hot and humid weather, feet and hands are on show a good deal of the time. It stands to reason then that manicures and pedicures have become essential maintenance for men as well as women. But not all mani pedis are created equal. Luckily the ultimate hands and feet grooming treatment is available here – at the St Regis hotel.

Bastion Gonzalez’s tricks of the pedicure trade

The concept: Bastien Gonzalez tends to the talons of supermodels and celebrities (though he’s far too discreet to name names) so as you’d expect his isn’t any old run of the mill mani pedi. Following a skiing accident Gonzalez trained as a podiatrist and studied how the feet effect the entire body, earning him the moniker of foot virtuoso. He’s more concerned with the health of your feet and nails than applying the latest limited edition colour.

Where to find him: Originally flitting between Paris, London and New York to see clients, he now has studios in exclusive locations around the world (mainly five star hotels in financial cities and luxury resorts) where handpicked podiatrists personally trained by him put the Bastien Gonzalez principles into practice. In Singapore, that’s Steve Desobeau at the St Regis hotel’s Remede Spa.

Why the treatment’s different: For a start the tools used look more suitable for the dentists and the doctors than a beauty salon – with good reason: they are actual dentist drills and surgeon’s scalpels chosen by Gonzalez. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t hurt a bit. “A mani pedi should be completely painless,” says Steve Desobeau. “The nail is dead and the skin we remove is dead so you shouldn’t feel anything.”

And the treatment is dry – no soaking hands or feet in water beforehand. That way the podiatrist is in total control and never removes too much. Nails are smoothed and cleaned and dead skin around the fingernails removed with a diamond dust drill while hard skin on the feet is nixed with a scalpel. Cuticles are never removed, a la most beauty salons, as they are essential to the health of the nail.

To paint or not to paint: Bastien’s method is not to use polish (though he will apply laqueur if asked). Instead he buffs and shines the nails with a chamoix leather and a crushed pearl cream. The result is shiny nails that gleam with health.

“I don’t tell people not to wear nail polish but I tell them to see it like make up,” says Desobeau. “You wouldn’t wear make up for a month so don’t keep your nail polish on that long.” He advocates taking polish off after three days and allowing a 24 hours breather before re applying.

The experience: From looking at my feet Desobeau, a former professional footballer who like his mentor trained as a podiatrist after a sports injury, deduced that on my left foot I walk more on the back than the front. He ventured that I might experience pain in my knee as a result (I do). He then gave me a strong massage on the soles of the feet and calves to help address this (the manicure includes a firm hand and arm massage too)using ahydrating but light cream. The treatment is finished off with a liberal dousing of talcum powder – “invisible socks” says Desobeau, and essential for the Singapore climate.

The verdict: I leave with neat, natural looking nails and super soft soles but most unexpectedly, feel like I’m walking on air.

Upkeep: Don’t assume you’ll need to go back every week or even month. “A good pedicure should last three months, a manicure one month,” says Desobeau. But every treatment is different depending on each person and how their feet and nails respond.

The last word: No feet are too gnarly for the Bastien Gonzalez approach. In fact, Desobeau says he finds the worst cases the most interesting. “I like to take feet that no one would want to touch and turn them into feet someone would like to kiss.” Vote with your feet and go see him.

[UPDATE Steve Desobeau is now at the Ritz Carlton in Singapore, Bastien Gonzalez’s studio continues to open at the St Regis.]